Poor People (Les pauvres gens)

Steinlen employed the fine, incised lines of drypoint to capture the rough texture of fabric and skin, while the broader etched areas define the figures’ outlines. The limited tonal range, achieved without aquatint, emphasizes contrast and gives the scene a somber, unembellished quality characteristic of early twentieth‑century social realism.

A Swiss‑born artist who worked primarily in France, Steinlen was active in the anarchist and socialist press, producing illustrations that addressed social inequality. *Poor People* was produced during the final years of his career, a period marked by heightened political engagement in his printmaking.

The print belongs to the broader Art Nouveau movement, yet its subject matter diverges from decorative motifs, focusing instead on the lived reality of marginalized individuals. It aligns with contemporary efforts by artists and writers to document and critique the effects of industrialization and urban poverty in pre‑World War I Europe.